The United States of America celebrates, tributes, and pays honor to its war veterans on Veterans Day (formerly Armistice Day,) on November 11. Other commonwealth countries celebrate their military as well on this day. See calendar below.

Month Events

American Diabetes Month. Diabetes, an illness in which the body is unable to produce or use the insulin its needs to process glucose, afflicts millions of Americans and can lead to disability and death. American Diabetes Month was created to raise awareness about the seriousness of this disease and the importance of treatment. For more information visit http://www.diabetes.org/ or http://www.healthfinder.gov/nho/NovToolkit.aspx

National American Indian Heritage Month. Honoring the original peoples of the American continent, and celebrating the important contributions Native Americans have made to this country. For more information visit http://nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/ or
http://www.loc.gov/law/help/commemorative-observations/american-indian.php

National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, and as many as 10 million family members are responsible for them as caregivers. For more information visit http://www.alz.org/

National Adoption Month. In 1995, President Bill Clinton proclaimed November National Adoption Month, a time to celebrate family and remind people that hundreds of thousands of children in foster homes are waiting to be adopted. For information visit http://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/nam/

Peanut Butter Lovers’ Month. One acre of peanuts will make enough of these tasty legumes (not nuts!) to produce about 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches. Americans eat close to 700 million pounds of peanut butter each year. Peanut butter is so universally loved that there was a song written about it in the 60's. The title? Peanut Butter Song, what else?

Week Events

National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, Nov. 6-12. Dating back to 1996, this campaign acknowledges and promotes the invaluable role shelters play in their communities, and increases public awareness of animal welfare issues and shelter services.

National Young Readers Week, Nov. 7-11. Co-founded by Pizza Hut and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress in 1989, National Young Readers Week encourages teachers and parents to create lifelong readers. Many schools recruit local celebrities to read a children’s book aloud in class.

Geography Awareness Week, Nov. 13-19. Sponsored by the National Geographic Society, and established in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan, the purpose of Geography Awareness Week is to promote geographic education in schools and among the public.

National Bible Week, Nov. 20-26. A week devoted to encouraging people to read the Bible, in the belief that it will arouse a positive force in the world.

Church/State Separation Week, Nov. 22-26. A celebration of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . .”

Day Events

Sadie Hawkins Day, Nov. 2. Created in the 1930s by the “Li’l Abner” comic strip, a day when women and girls are encouraged to ask the man or boy they like for a date.

Veterans Day, Nov. 11. To honor the sacrifices and contributions of those men and women who served in the Armed Services. For more information visit http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday.

Mickey Mouse Day, Nov. 18. In 1928, Steamboat Willie, the cartoon that introduced Mickey Mouse to the world, was released in New York City. Worth a celebration. For more information check out http://www.disneyshorts.org/shorts.aspx?shortID=96

Thanksgiving, Nov. 24. Feast on a turkey, and remember those settlers who first came to our shores.